Queen Latifah - Order in the Court

Order in the Court could just as easily have been called All Hail the Queen 4.0. Latifah (Dana Owens to her friends and family) has done more to diversify her career than broaden her core themes. She still offers smoothly rapped odes to self-respect, doing the right thing, and having good, clean fun. What has changed since her debut--almost a decade prior to this offering--is her wherewithal; Latifah's multimedia success as a TV and film actor has granted her substantial clout. Order in the Court reveals more about her recording budget than what's on her mind, but it's money well spent: the album is immensely entertaining and thoughtfully paced. The guest spots are unobtrusive, and the samples are fun. The surreal art in the inner sleeve alone almost makes this worth the purchase. --Martin Johnson Amazon.com

Another Great QL Album

"Order In The Court" is another Latifah Masterpiece. I'm sad to see it no longer in print. On this album, she takes her singing skills a lot further with such songs as "It's alright" and "What ya gonna do?" This album deserves to be back in print. I'd like to see a 10th anniversary edition in 2008 that features her 2 international tracks : "Keep Your Head To The Sky" and "let her Live" and The Live performance of "life" which is on "Lilith Fair Vol. 2" and the video edition to "It's alright" where Faith Evans (Who co-wrote the song) provides background vocals. That would make a great re-release
My top 5 songs
1. Bananas
2. Life
3. What ya gonna do?
4. It's alright
5. Tie : Black on Black Love & Keep Your Head To the Sky (Japan Bonus Track)

This is another great QL album. If you can get a hold of a copy and are a QL Fan, do so. it is not a disappointment. February 15, 2007

Good, but not as strong as Black Reign

Order in the Court was good, but it's not as strong as Black Reign. I still like Bananas, which has all kinds of things going on in it. It came at a time when everybody was copying Puff Daddy's beats, that four beat, shake it up style that he did so much. This song is like that, plus it sounds like Run DMC's It's Like That and has a boxing ring bell as a side effect.
After that, the album's a mixed bag, some upbeat songs and a few dull songs. It's a little too R&B for her and not enough hip-hop. Perhaps her next album will go for a street direction, which she's so great at. March 6, 2006

HELP!!

Latifah released a single a few years back, I'm not sure what the name of the song was or the exact year it was released, I just remember the video and the phrase "elements that I'm among" being part of the chorus. If this sounds familiar to any of you die-hard Queen fans I would appreciate your input on how to get this song on cd. Thanks! May 5, 2005

What Hip-Hop should sound like!

I bought this album after listening to audio samples & I have to say that I was impressed! Released in 1998, I surprised that I did not heard about it sooner. The lines between Hip-Hop and R&B?Soul are very blurred to the point that on most tracks your cannot tell which is a R&B or Hip-Hop song. This album is perfect for the music listener that wants music of substance, intelligence, & meaning. This album will tantilize you with such tracks as the striking "Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)" which is also the first single from the album. It is followed by "Court Is In Session" which her flow is excellent on. The music is very unusual for a hip-hip album. "No/Yes" is another superb track. Other highlights & favourites of mine are: "Parlay", "Paper", "What Ya Gonna Do", "It's Alright", "Brownsville", & "Life". The photographs are very unusual too, the type photography Grace Jones has on most of her albums.
Get this album if you don't already have it! You will not regret it! September 6, 2003

Queenie!!

If it's order she wants, then it is order she'll have. This experimental release from Queen Latifah deals with matters ranging from God to money and power to sex. It's a more mature album showcasing Queen's singing ability which is something that might become more dominant in her career and shows her growth as an artist in general.

Everything about this album, from the photagraphy which is awesome, to the lyrics which bridge early 90's Hip Hop with the more recent, down to the production is very well done. This is not for your average shoot-em-up Hip Hop heads, but for those who understand that in order to grow as an artist, one must try new things to see how it fits.

The Rap tracks, of which there are few, are strong. Especially "Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)" which is supported by one of the baddest beats I've ever heard. The R&B songs tend to get soulful which is something that I don't think she should have played with too much, but she gave an overall great performance on each. "Paper" samples the classic Marvin Gaye track "I heard It Through The Grapevine" and is expertly re-mixed by Wyclef Jean who lends his vocals sutbly throughout the track. The vocals on this track tend to be playful yet authoritative, letting you know sweetly that if you try to take her 'paper' that certain things will happen... we will not go into detail on that one. "It's Alright" is another of the standout tracks on the album on which Queen sings. A very melodic track kind of sunsual but very good to listen to.

Best tracks (to me) are:
1. Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)(startling at first, but turns into a ground shattering track)
7. Parlay (a chilled out song, with laid back rhymes)
8. Paper (best track on the album, very addictive)
10. It's Alright (borders along the lines of slow jam and mid-tempo)
14. Life (a song about... life)

Basically, Queen Latifah stepped out of the box on this one. A highly commendable record. April 18, 2003

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